Homebrew Lycanthrope Werewolf Species Details

One of the most ancient and feared of all curses, lycanthropy can transform the most civilized humanoid into a ravening beast. In its natural humanoid form, a creature cursed by lycanthropy appears as its normal self. Over time, however, many lycanthropes acquire features suggestive of their animal form. In that animal form, a lycanthrope resembles a powerful version of a normal animal. On close inspection, its eyes show a faint spark of unnatural intelligence and might glow red in the dark. A werewolf is a savage predator. In its humanoid form, a werewolf has heightened senses, a fiery temper, and a tendency to eat rare meat. Its wolf form is a fearsome predator, but its hybrid form is more terrifying by far — a furred and well-muscled humanoid body topped by a ravening wolf’s head. A werewolf can wield weapons in hybrid form, though it prefers to tear foes apart with its powerful claws and bite.

Most werewolves flee civilized lands not long after becoming afflicted. Those that reject the curse fear what will happen if they remain among their friends and family. Those that embrace the curse fear discovery and the consequences of their murderous acts. In the wild, werewolves form packs that also include wolves and dire wolves. Evil lycanthropes hide among normal folk, emerging in animal form at night to spread terror and bloodshed, especially under a full moon. Good lycanthropes are reclusive and uncomfortable around other civilized creatures, often living alone in wilderness areas far from villages and towns.

Curse of Lycanthropy. A humanoid creature can be afflicted with the curse of lycanthropy after being wounded by a lycanthrope, or if one or both of its parents are lycanthropes. A remove curse spell can rid an afflicted lycanthrope of the curse, but a natural born lycanthrope can be freed of the curse only with a wish.

A lycanthrope can either resist its curse or embrace it. By resisting the curse, a lycanthrope retains its normal alignment and personality while in humanoid form. It lives its life as it always has, burying deep the bestial urges raging inside it. However, when the full moon rises, the curse becomes too strong to resist, transforming the individual into its beast form — or into a horrible hybrid form that combines animal and humanoid traits. When the moon wanes, the beast within can be controlled once again. Especially if the cursed creature is unaware of its condition, it might not remember the events of its transformation, though those memories often haunt a lycanthrope as bloody dreams. Some individuals see little point in fighting the curse and accept what they are. With time and experience, they learn to master their shapechanging ability and can assume beast form or hybrid form at will. Most lycanthropes that embrace their bestial natures succumb to bloodlust, becoming evil, opportunistic creatures that prey on the weak.

Lycanthrope Werewolf Traits

Werewolves change from their humanoid forms into fierce wolves or wolf-humanoid hybrids. Werewolves can shape-shift voluntarily, but many can’t resist transforming during the nights of a full moon.

Creature Type/Size/Speed

You are a Humanoid Beast creature type.
Your size category various based on what form you take. Humanoid: Medium. Hybrid: Large. Beast: Medium/Large.
Powerful Build: You count as one size larger when determining your carrying capacity and the weight you can push, drag, or lift
Your speed varies based on what form you take: Humanoid: 35. Hybrid: 45. Beast: 55

Ability Score Increase

Your Strength score increases by 2. Your Constitution and Charisma scores increase by 1.

Age

Your age is based on the usual lifespan of the race you are replacing with this Lineage. Although due to the regenerational properties of the species; in your humanoid form, you look younger than you really are and your average is increased by 5 years for every level you gain.

Languages

Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common, and one other language of your choice. As a werewolf you are also granted the language of Lycanthropes of any subspecies. When in Beast form, you are able to communicate with animals of your Lycanthropy type. (Dogs, wolves, dire wolves.)

Darkvision

You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can't discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.

Weakness & Immunities

Starting at level 1, Lycanthropes roll with advantage against being frightened and are vulnerable to fire damage. A lycanthrope takes a standard amount of damage from silvered weapons.

When a Lycanthrope is damaged in combat by a silvered weapon, their regenerative properties have no effect the next round. If they are not damaged by a silvered weapon in that round, their abilities return on their next turn. Outside of combat, the lycanthrope will have to feed on raw meat for its regenerative abilities to return.

Starting at level 10, A lycanthrope has damage Immunities to Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing from Nonmagical Attacks that aren't Silvered. (At DM discretion, the lycanthrope can take half-damage from non-magical/non-silvered attacks versus taking 0 damage.) They also become immune to being frightened.

Keen Senses

You have expertise in and advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on Hearing or Smelling.

Hybrid Transformation

Hybrid Transformation: At the sight of the full moon, lycanthropes lose the ability to control their rage and transform into horrible monstrosities. In this hybrid form, werebeasts combine humanoid and animal traits, gaining superhuman powers. In their hybrid form, werewolves are a large size half-humanoid half-beast with fur covering their entire body, elongated fingers and nails, elongated feet, massive razor-sharp fangs, and the head of the beast. They can understand speech and speak, but it is more guttural and slower. The hybrid form is the default form for this race, and the stats and abilities are reflected as such You are able to wield weapons and wear armor in this form and still possess your normal attacks, spells, statistics.

Transformation into Hybrid form, when able to be done at will, can only be used once per long rest and lasts an hour. It can be done over a ten-minute period, in which the transformation works as normal, or as a single action, in which case the player must pass a DC 16 wisdom save or be frenzied for the duration of the transformation, perceiving all living creatures around it as enemies. The transformation drops early if the werewolf is put to sleep, rendered unconscious, dropped willingly or, if frenzied, someone is capable of talking them down.

Terrifying Transformation: When you shift into hybrid form, every creature of your choice that is within 30 feet and that can see you transform must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or be frightened of you until the end of its next turn. The saving throw DC equals 10 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier. On a failure: the frightened target must immediately move their full movement speed away from you. Other werewolves or Alphas are immune to this trait.

Frenzied Transformation: While you can control your form most days, on the night of the full moon, the beast within you swells. At the start of the night of a full moon, you must make a Wisdom saving throw or you will transform into a frenzied version of your hybrid form. Consequences may include attacking allies, running away to hunt, howling and bringing in other wolves or werewolves, slaughtering the innocent, and other actions within the bounds of your species. DC: 10 + level + WIS mod. If you succeed you have normal cognizance and control over yourself. If you fail the DM has control over what your character does. However, every hour you may reroll your saving throw to take back control. Once you make the saving throw, you retain control for the rest of the night.

Cursed Blood

Curse of Lycanthropy. A humanoid creature can be afflicted with the curse of lycanthropy after being wounded by a lycanthrope, or if one or both of its parents are lycanthropes. A remove curse spell can rid an afflicted lycanthrope of the curse, but a natural born lycanthrope can be freed of the curse only with a wish.

After making a bite attack against a humanoid creature, there is a chance of infecting the target with Lycanthropy. The target must succeed on a constitution saving throw. DC: 10 + your CON mod. Since you infected them, you are their Alpha and gain command over them. 1/day within the first month of infection or before the next full moon, the infected creature can roll a wisdom saving throw to break out of your control and gain free will. DC: 10 + WIS mod. 

Beast Transformation

Lycanthropes have control over their beast form; the transformation into the animal counterpart of the beast-cursed blood in their veins. In beast form, lycanthropes can’t speak, but a keen observer may see the spark of intelligence in their eyes. The Beast must match the specific lycanthrope ancestry. Werewolf=wolf, Werebear=bear...etc. There are two options; you retain your humanoid character statistics, but you are only allowed to use your unarmed/Natural strikes, or you adopt the stats from the default block of the given Beast, DM discretion.

You cannot wear armor or wield weapons. You can choose to have the equipment you are wearing either merge into your form or be dropped to the ground. You gain no benefit from equipment that is merged into your form. You can't cast spells, and your ability to speak or take any action that requires hands is limited to the capabilities of your beast form.

Beast form transformations can be done 1+ proficiency bonus / day if being used in combat. For out-of-combat roleplaying, the beast form can be used at will.

Starting at level 10 (DM discretion) you may choose to turn into the Dire version/size of your beast form. Ex: wolf vs dire wolf. 

Battle Howl

Your voice cuts through the air like a knife and can cause your enemies to be consumed by fear. As a bonus action once per short rest, creatures of your choice within 30ft. that can hear you must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw (DC15) or become frightened of you until the end of your next turn. If frightened, they made a second WIS save (DC 15) and if they fail, must take their turn to move their max speed in the opposite direction of you. Wolves, dire wolves, and other werewolves are not affected.

As an action, once per long rest, the howl can be used to summon wolves, direwolves, or other werewolves to your side. Unless they are an Alpha, any creatures of those type who are within 60 ft of you will immediately move their full movement speed in the most direct route possible to come to your side. If there are none around, then any creatures of the type, who are not an Alpha, can be summoned to you.

Natural Attacks

While in hybrid form the werewolf gains access to natural weapons consisting of claws and a bite. While in Beast form as a wolf, they use the given attack stats for the Beast.

Claw: Your clawed paws are a natural weapon, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. Melee Weapon Attack: (1d8 + STR) slashing damage per paw. At every fifth level (5, 10, 15, 20) add another d8.

Bite: Your fangs are as sharp as daggers. Melee Weapon Attack (1d12 + STR) piercing damage. At ever fifth level (5, 10, 15, 20) add another d12.

Multiattack: The werewolf makes two attacks of any combination as a single attack action.

Attack Savagery

When in hybrid form and attacking with with bite or claws: The critical range for these attacks is 19-20. You can chose a body part to dismember when you hit a creature with a critical.

In hybrid or beast form you have advantage on attack rolls against a creature that is bloodied.

Comments

Posts Quoted:
Reply
Clear All Quotes